Dentifrice



Patented May 26, 1936 PATENT OFFICE DENTIFBICE Earl B. Putt, Haworth, N. J., assignor to Herman Theaman, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing. Application May 23, 1983, Serial No. 672,467

2 Claims.

This invention relates to dentifrices, and particularly to the use of certain ingredients therein, which render the dentifrice non-injurious and which confer upon it characteristics which hereto- 5 fore could not be attained without imposing certain limitations upon the finished product.

In a prior Patent No. 1,565,864, I have replaced the mineral abrasives of the old art by cellulose fiber, thus placing dentifrices on an organic basis. I have followed through the objects of the said patent by this invention, which provides for preparing a dentifrice entirely vegetable in composition so that, for instance, the use of metal compounds may be entirely avoided.

I have particular reference to the compounds of the metals of the alkalies. Soap for instance has heretofore been used as an ingredient in dentifrice where a certain foaming quality was to be imparted to the dentifrice. But aside from this last mentioned characteristic soap is primarily a powerful solvent and has other properties which are not always desirable attributes in a dentifrice. Soap is strongly alkaline. On the other hand alkalinity is necessary where soap is used to provide foam, because the foaming quality disappears when a soap containing compound is neutralized or when it is made acidic. It is therefore not possible to make use of the foam producing physical property of soap unless its chemical characteristics are preserved. Whenever foaming is to be provided in a dentifrice by means of alkaline ingredients, the dentifrice must be alkaline and under such conditions it is impossible to provide a foaming, neutral or slightly acid, dentifrice as required by dental authorities in quite many instances.

It is an object of this invention to provide a foaming dentifrice which does not have to be alkaline and which does not have to contain alkaline substances in order to produce foaming.

Aside from attaining freedom in respect to the chemical reaction of a dentifrice I also desire to avoid other disadvantages which accompany the use of soap,-above all, the taste.

A novel ingredient for a dentifrice, which I have found to be of great value in order to attain the objects set forth above, is glycol stearate. It forms a milky suspension with water and acts w as a detergent. It imparts a soapy taste; but this taste is slight as compared with the characteristic taste of soap. In its flaky, suspended form it aids in removing particles from the teeth in a manner similar to the foam of soap although but little foam is produced. Since it does not dissolve in water, it provides the bulky base necessary for physically cleansing the teeth.

On the other hand I have discovered that certain alkyl cellulose derivatives, for instance dimethyl cellulose, produce a decided and persistent foam similar to that furnished by soap, and even more lasting thanthe foam produced by soap. V

By way of contrast with the case of soap the foaming action caused by dimethyl cellulose in a mixture or compound does in no mannner depend on a chemical reaction thereof; in other words it produces a foam when agitated with water in a neutral, acid or alkaline medium. Therefore it is of great use in dentifrices as a foam producing agent, and, since its solution in water resembles that of ordinary gums, it serves as a binder in holding the components of the paste together in a smooth state.

Whereas the glycol stearate and the dimethyl cellulose blend perfectly together when used in neutral or slightly alkaline or acid pastes, glycol stearate should not be used in a strongly acid paste. A formula of a purely vegetable dentifrice which provides a satisfactory foam, and is most effective in cleansing the teeth is the following:

Benzoic acid .15 grams Glycerin 10 grams Powdered karaya .5 grams Dimethyl cellulose 2 grams Water 90 0.0. Dry fibre (U. S. Patent No. 1,565,864) 16 Glycol stearate 5 Flavor Oil of anise Soluble saccharin Menthol .01 gram Color Eosin In preparing this dentifrice, I proceed as follows: The water is heated to boiling and poured upon the dimethyl cellulose. The mixture is allowed to stand over night and forms a syrupy solution. The glycol stearate is melted at a 45 temperature of to C. The benzoic acid and soluble saccharin are dissolved in the dimethyl cellulose solution. I

The powdered karaya is mixed thoroughly with the glycerin. To this is added rapidly the 50 dimethyl cellulose solution previously prepared. and the whole heated to 70 C. This hot solution is now poured into the melted glycol stearate with constant stirring. A heavy white emulsion forms. At this point the fibre is introduced, and 55 grams grams .1 c. c. .1 gram 2 the mixture is stirred at intervals until the temperature falls to 40 C.

Then a mixture of the menthol andthe oil of anise is mixed thoroughly with the product previously prepared. The addition of the eosin, produces pink color. The paste may then be filled into tubes in the usual manner. The fibre may be used in its original moist state and proper allowance made for the water content.

In practical tests of this paste, I have found that a one-inch ribbon of thepaste, when agitated with c. c. of water, produces 10 to 20 c. c of foam which is very persistent. Even after 24 hours, such a solution showed a volume of 5 c. c. of foam. A commercial sample of a soapcontaining tooth paste, in a similar test, yielded 20 c. c. of foam, but on standing 24 hours the volume of this foam was reduced to less than 1 c. c.

For a slightly acid or neutral dentifrice I submit the following example: I Parts Glycerin 25. Powdered karaya .2 Powdered tragacanth .2 Dimethyl cellulose 2.0 Glycol stearate 3.0 Calcium sulphate 40.0 Tricalcium phosphate 5.0 Water 27.0 Saccharin .05 Benzoic acid .1 Flavor .5

Of course I do not desire to limit the scope of this invention to dentifrices in which soaps or mineral abrasives are lcompletely, eliminated. For instance the glycol stearate may be used without the dimethyl cellulose with a customary amount of gum for a binding agent if a nonfoaming dentifrice is desired. property is to be imparted to such a compound, either soap or dimethyl cellulose may be used.

The formula for an alkaline dentifrice involving my invention would be the following:

While I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the details of procedure. and propor- 5 tion of ingredients may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:--

1. A soapless dentifrice comprising dimethyl cellulose as a foam producing ingredient.

2. A dentifrice, in which the solid ingredients substantially are: dimethyl cellulose, glycol stearate and dry fibre.

EARL B. PUTT.

If a foaming 5 

